Lebanon: Opposition calls for early parliamentary elections

Published December 18th, 2006 - 23:18 GMT

The Hizbullah-led opposition called Monday for early parliamentary elections to resolve Lebanon's political crisis.

The Hizbullah-led opposition called Monday for early parliamentary elections to resolve Lebanon's political crisis. "The different groups of the opposition at a meeting on Monday decided to call, as a priority, for early legislative elections," former premier Omar Karami told reporters.

He said the decision was adopted "to resolve the crisis provoked by the obstinacy of the illegitimate government."

Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun also told reporters on Monday that "the solution to the crisis lies in early elections." Lebanon's last elections were held in 2005.

Arab League chief Amr Moussa, following a visit to Riyadh, is expected to return to Beirut on Tuesday to resume his efforts to broker a deal after several weeks of political deadlock.